McLeish believes big games will break Hearts

Hearts may be five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premierleague after seven straight wins but Alex McLeish believes his Rangers side could lose in Edinburgh this afternoon and still retain their title.

The Ibrox manager takes his players to Tynecastle for one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the Scottish season so far, against a side who sit eight points clear of third-placed Rangers. But with Celtic three points better off in second, McLeish stresses that any talk of Hearts becoming the first team to break the Old Firm's championship dominance in 21 years is premature.

"We have seen leads from this stage of the season whittled away in the past, so we don't class this as a must-win game," he said. "Celtic still have a big part to play in things, and Hearts have a lot of big games to come.

"We would like to give Hearts a psychological knock, but there's no guarantees we will do that. I've noticed an edge about the players in training this week, which is a tribute to how well Hearts have done so far.

"But when you are on an unbeaten run, sometimes you wonder where you will drop points and we aim to put those doubts into Hearts' minds."

Rangers will be at full strength for the trip to Edinburgh, after Thomas Buffel and Sotirios Kygriakos recovered from knocks which were sustained in the midweek CIS Cup victory over Clyde.

The Hearts manager George Burley has injury concerns over two key players for a match which will see his side retain their place at the top of the SPL for another week, regardless of the result. Julien Brellier and Takis Fyssas have not trained all week, while Michel Pospisil and Ibrahim Tall are certainly missing.

The former Ipswich and Derby manager went on record after Wednesday night's CIS Cup defeat to Livingston with his assessment that the Hearts squad lacks strength in depth, and while league performances have shown the club's starting XI appears every bit as good as that of either of the Old Firm, a run of injuries or suspensions would prove a major stumbling block to Hearts' aspirations to sustain their championship challenge. "We will have Julien and Takis in early to see how they are, but they are worries," said Burley. "We have to make sure the players do themselves and the club justice, so if they are not fit then they won't play."

The forward pair Roman Bednar and Edgaras Jankauskas trained yesterday after missing the game in Livingston, and are expected to start. Meanwhile, Celtic will be without the suspended Neil Lennon, and Alan Thompson, who has a twisted ankle, for the visit of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.